Tag Archives: intelligence leaks

The historical fiction movie “Zero Dark Thirty” depicts the heroic actions of America’s best and brightest intelligence officers and US Special Operators who not only located but killed Osama Bin Laden. Today, a select group of elected officials are outraged over “Zero Dark Thirty.” They have taken an initiative to destroy the careers of US operatives who may have potentially leaked classified information to the movie’s producers.

They are looking at the wrong people to investigate.

The Senate Intelligence Committee’s chairwoman, Sen. Feinstein (D-CA), and her team of corrupt “feel-gooders” like Senators McCain and Levin are on the warpath. The Intelligence Committee’s panel has begun a review of contacts between the makers of the film “Zero Dark Thirty” and CIA operatives. Nothing like using intelligence officials as the fall guys when things get ugly.

Before getting too far ahead of the “Zero Dark Thirty” investigation, let’s not forget statements made by key US officials that prove how untrustworthy they really are when it comes to handling classified information.

January 2012, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta conducted an interview with CBS’s “60 Minutes.” It was here the world first learned about the life of a Pakistani doctor, Shakil Afridi, who once served as a human source to the US intelligence community. Days after the OBL raid, Afridi was tracked down by Pakistani authorities in the Torkham border, apprehended, and approximately four months later in May sentenced to 33 years in prison for treason.

May 2012, the New York Times released an article titled Secret ‘Kill List’ Proves a Test of Obama’s Principles and Will. It quotes White House national security adviser Thomas E. Donilon, Obama’s chief of staff in 2011 William M. Daley, and Obama’s White House counsel Gregory B. Craig. The quotes used by these three men are actual leaks of information linking to classified material.

In June of 2012, Hot Air published an article titled McCain: Top-secret leaks coming from “highest levels” of White House. At the time, McCain and Feinstein were deeply concerned over leaks of information pertaining to US clandestine cyber warfare operations that dealt with Iran’s nuclear developments. He and Feinstein directly attacked the White House for these leaks.

July 2012, Sen. Feinstein was quoted as saying, “The White House has to understand that some of this (classified leakage) is coming from their ranks.” She later added, “There’s one book they can read and they’ll see it very carefully,” alluding to journalist David Sanger’s book that reveals the US and Israel developed a cyber-tool used to interfere with Iran’s nuclear arms program.

Now, let’s go back to the whole” Zero Dark Thirty” controversy.

Hampton Roads had revealed in their September 2012 article titled Feds: Hide Navy SEAL name given to Hollywood that an interview was conducted by Politico staff members. In that interview, Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence Mike Vickers specifically informed screen writer Boal about the name of someone he could speak with to assist in writing “Zero Dark Thirty.”

Boal was informed by Vickers, “the only thing we ask is that you not reveal his name in any way as a consultant.” Why make such a request? Why tell Boal to hide a name when Vickers himself failed in hiding it?

Vickers knew the individual he referred Boal to either served in or continues to serve in a classified position. The individual’s name was meant to remain secret. Vickers had absolutely no right to divulge this mysterious individual’s name to Boal in the first place. Vickers is guilty for leaking this information to a non-security clearance holding Hollywood screenwriter.

Leon Panetta is just as guilt as Vickers. Remember, he was the first American elitist who divulged information about a human source for the world to know about. Any decent researcher could have put pieces of the OBL raid together to make a decent movie script just based off his statements in that “60 Minutes” interview.

When it comes to enhanced interrogation techniques, Boal and Bigelow didn’t need a classified source. The technique of waterboarding can be observed on YouTube. A million open sources can be found on the internet that reveals the technique was utilized in the early years of the Afghan War. And even Sen. John McCain along with many other elected officials can be observed discussing the technique through Congressional hearings.

Senators Feinstein, McCain, and Levin are going after the wrong people. They are looking for a mid to low level fall guy. They refuse to do a little research and find links that will prove any leak provided to Baol and Bigelow came directly from the highest levels of our government.

This entire investigation is a huge scam and a waste of US tax payer money. Director Kathryn Bigelow and Screenwriter Mark Boal were provided inside material related to the Bin Laden raid. That is known. It is also known that inside material came and was directed from the highest members of our government—not some mid to low level operator.

But just like Benghazi, elected officials have once again proven to the American people how much they despise our intelligence community. They will do anything to cripple the morale of intelligence officers. Sadly, working as an intelligence officer for the US government comes with serious risks—risks from the enemy and risks from the enemy–the second being the enemy from within.

Today, the founders of Special Operations Speaks PAC – an organization founded by Special Operations veterans dedicated to protecting our forces at home and abroad – released the following statement after Facebook twice censored their meme criticizing President Obama for refusing to save the lives of former Navy SEALS in Benghazi. The meme simply stated, “When Obama called the SEALs, they got bin Laden. When the SEALs called Obama, they got denied.” The meme spread virally throughout Facebook’s network and within in 24 hours almost 30,000 people shared and hundreds of thousands viewed the meme.

The meme was taken down for an unspecified violation of Facebook’s terms of Rights and Responsibilities.

“It looks like Obama’s liberal followers in Facebook HQ are terrified of how damaging the Benghazi scandal is for the President. We understand that Facebook can run their site however they’d like, but when they’re trying to quietly squelch opposition to what is a clear leadership failure that resulted in the tragic deaths of some of our nation’s heroes, they deserve the to be called out on it,” said Larry Bailey, CAPT (SEAL), USN (Ret).
“We are paying advertisers on Facebook. It is outrageous that Mark Zuckerburg, founder of Facebook, who worked to elect Obama in 2008, would sell out patriots who made the ultimate sacrifice – all to serve the political ambitions of the man who let them die.”
“Americans across the country deserve the truth about what happened in Libya, and they certainly deserve to know when people who hold the keys to a lot of their online communications are trying to keep that from them,” continued Colonel Dick Brauer, Jr., USAF (Ret).
“This whole affair has become the poster child for liberal arrogance and incompetence – from the President’s complete leadership failure in Libya to the liberal media’s desperate efforts to keep this out of the hands of the American people across the spectrum from broadcast news to social media. I hope they’ll stop this shameful game and stop sacrificing the truth – and Americans abroad – in the name of politics.”

Special Operations Speaks PAC is comprised of veterans, legatees, and supporters of the Special Operations communities of all the Armed Forces and have noted with dismay and deep alarm the recent stream of highly damaging leaks of information about various aspects of America’s shadow war in the overall War on Terror. Our principles are the same as when we were in active service — Duty, Honor, Country.
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Special-Operations-Speaks/455326401158941UPDATE: We just received this email from Facebook:

Hello,
A member of our team accidentally removed something you posted on Facebook. This was mistake, and we sincerely apologize for this error. We’ve since restored the content, and you should now be able to see it.
The Facebook Team

Note: Facebook removed the post two times and suspended our account for 24 hours.We accept their apology but do not accept that it was an innocent mistake. It was clearly a means to protect Obama on Libya.

Support SOS: Please click here to support Special Operations Speaks PAC.

A group of former special operations and C.I.A. officers accuse President Obama of spiking the football — taking credit for killing Osama bin Laden, and recklessly leaking intelligence information about the raid that killed Osama bin Laden and other security matters solely to gain political advantage.

“Mr. President, you did not kill Osama bin Laden, America did. The work that the American military has done killed Osama bin Laden. You did not.” — Ben Smith, a Navy SEAL

The Special Operations OPSEC Education Fund Inc, argues that high level Obama administration’s leaks are damaging U.S. security. They make their case in a new video called “Dishonorable Disclosures: How Leaks and Politics Threaten National Security.”

The good folks at Special Operations OPSEC see their mission as stopping President Obama and others, from politically capitalizing on U.S. national security operations and secrets, which allows the special operations and intelligence capabilities to be degraded., and educating the public about the importance and necessity of Operational Security. The video does a good job of doing that.

The Former Special Operations and C.I.A. officers are upset about the “avalanche” of leaks obviously intended to politically benefit Obama:

Immediate disclosure of the killing of Osama bin Laden rather than waiting to exploit the information taken by SEAL Team Six.

Disclosure and special access to Department of Defense and C.I.A details about the Osama bin Laden operation to Hollywood filmmakers.

Disclosure of the unit, the cover name, The aircraft that were used, the number of raiders, and how the team entered and moved around the grounds.

Disclosure of details pertaining to the intelligence gathering before the raid, including the identity of the Pakistani doctor who provided information.

Disclosure of U.S. and Israeli involvement in the computer viruses which targeted Iran’s nuclear program.

Disclosure of a joint U.S./British/Israeli covert operation that planted a spy in Al Qaeda’s affiliate in Yemen, whose information stopped a terrorist bomb plot against a U.S.-bound airliner.

Disclosure of the secret Obama “Kill List.”

OPSEC is not alone in being outraged about the Obama Administration’s national security leaks. Former Democrat Senator Bob Kerrey, took Obama to task for his decision to disclose some details of the Osama bin Laden operation:

“By describing certain methods — the name of the unit involved, the kinds of equipment employed, the nature of intelligence collected and techniques of insertion and extraction used in the operation — the President violated a key rule of clandestine work.”

Democrat Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, has also gone after Obama for controversial leaks of classified information, saying “I think the White House has to understand that some of this is coming from their ranks.” She was even tougher during an appearance on CNN’s “Situation Room” program:

“What we’re seeing…is an Anschluss, an avalanche of leaks. And it’s very, very disturbing. You know, it’s dismayed our allies. It puts American lives in jeopardy. It puts our nation’s security in jeopardy.”

But nobody summed up as well as former defense secretary, Robert Gates, who blasted the Obama White House’s leaks and told the Obama national security team to “Shut the f— up.”

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This morning on Fox and Friends Geraldo Rivera downplayed the seriousness of the string of intelligence leaks coming out of the White House by saying he is not aware of any deaths occurring as a result. He then went on to characterize OPSEC’s recent video objecting to the leaks as purely political. I doubt he even listened to the OPSEC video all the way through.

Well I’ve got news for Geraldo. The leaks have had profound damaging effects on our national security that transcend mere partisan politics. He should watch Michele Van Cleave’s assessment of the far-reaching effects all those leaks have had.

Michelle Van Cleave is former U.S. National Counterintelligence Executive.

Intelligence and Special Operations forces are furious and frustrated at how President Obama and those in positions of authority have exploited their service for political advantage. Countless leaks, interviews and decisions by the Obama Administration and other government officials have undermined the success of our Intelligence and Special Operations forces and put future missions and personnel at risk.
The unwarranted and dangerous public disclosure of Special Forces Operations is so serious — that for the first time ever — former operators have agreed to risk their reputations and go ‘on the record’ in a special documentary titled “Dishonorable Disclosures.” Its goal is to educate America about serious breaches of security and prevent them from ever happening again.
Use of military ranks, titles & photographs in uniform does not imply endorsement of the Dept of the Army or the Department of Defense. All individuals are no longer in active service with any federal agency or military service.

The White House was on the receiving end of some well-earned criticism regarding national security leaks from both sides of the aisle. On Monday, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, criticized White House operatives for the leaks. “I think the White House has to understand that some of this is coming from their ranks,” she said, even as she absolved President Obama himself. “I don’t believe for a moment that he goes out and talks about it,” she added. Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney was far more direct. Seizing on Feinstein’s comment, he slammedthe president during his speech at a Veterans of Foreign Wars gathering in Reno, Nevada. “What kind of White House would reveal classified material for political gain? I’ll tell you right now: Mine will not,” he promised.

Romney also assailed the president for his defense cuts. “Don’t bother by the way trying to find a serious military rationale behind any of that, unless that rationale is wishful thinking,” he said. “Strategy is not driving the president’s massive defense cuts. In fact, his own secretary of defense warned that these reductions would be ‘devastating.’ And he is right,” he added.

But he was most incensed about the leaks. Taking note of Feinstein’s admission, Romney observed, “Lives of American servicemen and women are at stake. But astonishingly, the administration failed to change its ways. More top-secret operations were leaked, even some involving covert action in Iran. This isn’t a partisan issue; it’s a national security crisis.”

Unsurprisingly, Feinstein attempted to minimize the political damage. Yesterday she released a statement expressing her “disappointment” that Romney would use her remarks to “impugn President Obama or his commitment to protecting national security secrets. I know for a fact the president is extremely troubled by these leaks. His administration has moved aggressively to appoint two independent U.S. attorneys. There is an investigation under way, and it is moving forward quickly,” she stated. “I know we are in a campaign season, but I hope the investigation proceeds without political accusation or interference from anyone.”

Mitt Romney has other ideas. “It is not enough to say the matter is being looked into, and leave it at that,” he contended. “It is unacceptable to say, ‘We’ll report our findings after Election Day.’” After accusing the White House of leaking classified information for political gain, he demanded “a full and prompt investigation by a special counsel” of the breaches. “Whoever provided classified information to the media, seeking political advantage for the administration, must be exposed, dismissed, and punished,” Mr. Romney said in his Reno speech. “The time for stonewalling is over.”

He also addressed Feinstein’s backtracking, saying she had been given “the Cory Booker treatment” by the White House. Booker, the mayor of Newark and a rising star in the Democrat party, first referred to administration attacks on Bain Capital as “nauseating” before changing his tune — after a private meeting with White House officials.

Romney’s call for a special prosecutor echoes the demand made last month a by group of Republican senators who also believe the White House orchestrated the release of intel for political gain, and are equally skeptical the two ostensibly “independent” attorneys appointed by the Department of Justice (DOJ) can conduct an independent investigation. At issue are three separate leaks. The first one involved the details of the Navy SEAL’s successful raid on bin Laden’s compound and other U.S. missions in Pakistan. The second one involved the outing of a British double-agent who thwarted another “underwear” bomb attack. The third leak concerned the details of America’s cyberwar against Iran’s nuclear program.

And despite the president’s contention last month that it was “offensive” to suggest that anyone in his administration is purposely releasing classified information, it is clear that such indignation is at odds with reality. On CBS’s “60 Minutes,” Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta confirmed that Pakistani Dr. Shikal Afridi helped locate Osama bin Laden. British and Saudi officials were furious about the leaks that exposed their double-agent, with former CIA agent Michael Scheur calling them “despicable” and “tragic.” Robert Grenier, former head of CIA counter-terrorism, contended that British agents must be exasperated “with their American friends, who are far more leak-prone than they.” With respect to the cyberwar against Iran’s nuclear program, an incredibly detailed New York Timesstory about it was attributed to “current and former American, European and Israeli officials involved in the program, as well as a range of outside experts.” And as Judicial Watch discovered, Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence Michael Vickers disclosed the identity of SEAL Team 6′s commander to Hollywood producers making a movie about the raid that killed Osama bin Laden. The movie’s original release was scheduled for October, just before the election, but was postponed.

The leaks have been incredibly damaging. Dr. Afridi has been sentenced to 33 years in prison for helping us locate bin Laden. British intelligence services, MI6 and MI5 have been compromised. So have Navy SEAL operational methods. Iran now knows more about how we conduct cyber warfare than ever before, and can take steps to prevent it. Enemies have been given unprecedented access to the top-secret processes regarding the way our intelligence agencies conceive and carry out missions. Revealing the identity of agents in the field has compromised their safety, and severely reduced the likelihood of further cooperation by those with the capability to infiltrate terrorist cells, or provide critical information on their operations.